Spray washing cart apparatus

Abstract

A spray washing cart apparatus, including: a cart (10); a nozzle array holder (14); at least one cleaning nozzle array (16.1) arranged on the nozzle array holder (14), the cleaning nozzle array (16.1) including a plurality of spray nozzles (18.1) for spray washing; a water distribution manifold (20, 22) for supplying water to the cleaning nozzle array (16.1); and a water pump (24) connectable to the cleaning nozzle array (16.1) through the manifold (20, 22), wherein the water pump (24) is mounted on the cart (10), wherein the cleaning nozzle array (16.1) extends in a first direction (1), and wherein the nozzle array holder (14) is mounted on a top side of the cart (10) to be linearly moveable in a second direction (2) transverse to the first direction (1).

Claims

1. A spray washing cart apparatus, comprising: a cart; a nozzle array holder; at least one cleaning nozzle array arranged on the nozzle array holder, each cleaning nozzle array comprising a plurality of spray nozzles for spray washing; a water distribution manifold for supplying water to the at least one cleaning nozzle array; and a water pump connectable to the at least one cleaning nozzle array through the manifold, wherein the water pump is mounted on the cart, wherein at least one first said cleaning nozzle array extends in a first direction, wherein the nozzle array holder is mounted on a top side of the cart to be linearly moveable in a second direction transverse to the first direction, and wherein the at least one cleaning nozzle array comprises at least two cleaning nozzle arrays of which at least one second said cleaning nozzle array extends in one other direction than the first direction.

2. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle array holder is linearly moveable in the second direction for letting a spraying swath of the cleaning nozzle array scan a two-dimensional cleaning area.

3. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second cleaning nozzle array extends in a third direction.

4. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the spray nozzles of the at least one second cleaning nozzle array are oriented for spraying water in the first direction.

5. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spray nozzles of the at least one cleaning nozzle array project outward beyond at least one side of the cart.

6. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a longitudinal guide extending in the second direction, and wherein the nozzle array holder is linearly movable along said guide.

7. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drive for moving the nozzle array holder one of: in the second direction, a direction opposite to the second direction, and both the second direction and the direction opposite to the second direction.

8. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water distribution manifold comprises a movable duct, configured to supply water to the at least one cleaning nozzle array while the nozzle array holder is moved.

9. He spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water distribution manifold comprises at least one valve for selectively supplying water to cleaning nozzles of the at least one cleaning nozzle array.

10. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control movement of the nozzle array holder in the second direction.

11. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one limit switch for limiting the movement of the nozzle array holder.

12. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cart is manually movable.

13. A spray washing cart apparatus, comprising: a cart; a nozzle array holder; at least one cleaning nozzle array arranged on the nozzle array holder, each cleaning nozzle array comprising a plurality of spray nozzles for spray washing; a water distribution manifold for supplying water to the at least one cleaning nozzle array; and a water pump connectable to the at least one cleaning nozzle array through the manifold, wherein the water pump is mounted on the cart, wherein at least one first said cleaning nozzle array extends in a first direction, wherein the nozzle array holder is mounted on a top side of the cart to be linearly moveable in a second direction transverse to the first direction, and wherein the second direction is a vertical direction, and wherein the at least one cleaning nozzle array comprises at least three cleaning nozzle arrays arranged on the nozzle array holder, of which a second said cleaning nozzle array and a third said cleaning nozzle array each extend in one other direction than the first direction, the cleaning nozzle arrays being arranged in a horizontal U-shape.

14. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cart further comprises at least three wheels on the bottom side of the cart.

15. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one wheel is a steerable wheel.

16. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cart further comprises at least one brake for locking at least one said wheel in a parking position of the cart.

17. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener for attaching one of: a strap or a belt to the cart apparatus.

18. The spray washing cart apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a bumper at a first side of the cart.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment given herein below and the accompanying drawings, and wherein

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a spray washing cart apparatus;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the apparatus; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) The spray cart washing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a spray cart washing apparatus for cleaning a cooler of a construction vehicle, in particular a wheel loader.

(6) The spray washing cart apparatus includes a cart 10, on top of which a longitudinal guide 12 is vertically erected. A nozzle array holder 14 is mounted to the guide 12 to be linearly movable in the vertical direction along the guide 12.

(7) The nozzle array holder 14 holds three cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, which each include a respective plurality of spray nozzles 18.1, 18.2 and 18.3. The nozzle array holder 14 further holds a piping 20 connected by a movable duct 22 in the form of a hose to a high pressure water pump 24 that is arranged on the cart 10. The piping 20 and movable duct 22 form a water distribution manifold 20, 22 for supplying water from the pump 24 to the cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.3. The water distribution manifold 20, 22 further includes valves 26 for selectively supplying the water to the respective cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2 and 16.3 and their cleaning nozzles 18.1, 18.2, 18.3. For example, the cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 are separately connectable to the pump 24 by respective valves 26.

(8) In the example, the first cleaning nozzle array 16.1 extends in a horizontal, first direction 1 transverse across the spray washing cart apparatus and is arranged in a frontmost position of the spray washing cart apparatus in a third direction 3. The spray nozzles 18.1 of the first cleaning nozzle array 16.1 are oriented for spraying water in the third direction 3, which is a horizontal, front direction in the example shown.

(9) The vertical direction, in which the nozzle array holder 14 is movable along the guide 12, is a vertical, second direction 2.

(10) The apparatus further includes a shielding plate 28 arranged behind the respective cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 and having outwardly bent wings 30 at its respective ends. The shielding plate 28 is arranged at and forms a part of the nozzle holder 14.

(11) The apparatus includes a drive 32 for moving the nozzle array holder 14 upwards and downwards along the guide 12. Driving force is transferred from the drive 32 to the nozzle array holder 14 via a toothed belt 34 shown in FIG. 3, or by a simple belt or a gearing mechanism. The drive 32 is mounted on the cart 10. However, in other embodiments, the drive may be mounted on the nozzle array holder. A controller 36 controls the drive 32 for controlling the movement of the nozzle array holder 14. Limit switches 38 for limiting the movement of the nozzle array holder 14 are connected to the controller 36.

(12) Each of the nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 is configured for generating a spraying swath, which will be described in the following for the case of the first cleaning nozzle array 16.1. The cleaning nozzle array 16.1 is configured for generating a spraying swath directed in the third direction 3 and having a crosswise extension in a horizontal direction, which is the first direction 1 for the first cleaning nozzle array 16.1. When the nozzle array holder 14 is vertically moved in the second direction 2 or opposite thereto, the spraying swath of the first cleaning nozzle array 16.1 scans a two-dimensional cleaning area 40 schematically shown with dotted lines in FIG. 1. For the first cleaning nozzle array 16.1, a plane of the cleaning areas extends in the first and second directions 1, 2.

(13) The second cleaning array 16.2 extends in the third direction 3, and its cleaning nozzles 18.2 are directed in the first direction 1. Accordingly, a plane of a two-dimensional cleaning area of the second cleaning nozzle area 16.2 extents in the second and third directions 2, 3. Similarly, the third cleaning nozzle array 16.3 has cleaning nozzles 18.3 directed opposite to the first direction 1, while a plane of a two-dimensional cleaning area extends in the second and third directions 2, 3.

(14) As shown, the cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 are arranged in a horizontal U-shape.

(15) As shown in FIG. 2, the spray nozzles 18.1, 18.2, 18.3 of the respective cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 project outward beyond the respective side of the cart 10. The cart 10 has two non-steerable front wheels 42 and a steerable double-wheel 44 connected to a handle bar 46 for manually moving and steering the cart 10.

(16) FIG. 2 shows the spraying cart apparatus arranged in a working position, in which each of the cleaning nozzle arrays 16.1, 16.2, 16.2 is arranged in front of a cooler part or a cooler section 48 of a wheel loader. The cooler section 48 may, for example, include an array of cooling fins to be cleaned. Wheels 42 may be locked by brakes 50, in the working or parking position of the apparatus.

(17) On the front side of the cart 10, there is arranged a bumper 52 for contacting the wheel loader. The apparatus may be attached to the wheel loader using fasteners 54 for attaching straps or belts.

(18) In a further embodiment, the above described apparatus includes a further guide 56, which may be a horizontal guide. The nozzle array holder 14 may be linearly movable along the further guide 56 in the first direction. The nozzle array holder 14 may be mounted to the first guide 12 by the further guide 56. The apparatus may include a further drive 58 for moving the nozzle array holder 14 forth and/or back in the first direction, as schematically shown with dashed lines in FIG. 2.